Change is scary. Change can be intimidating. The fear of change, fear of failure, even the fear of the unknown. EVERYONE has trepidation about change. EVERYONE. But when the time comes that you cannot stay in the same situation any longer – it’s time to make your move.

If you’re ready to take action and make a career change, here are five (5) resources to help you make the change and transition into your dream career.

Work your network – Talk to people who have successfully made a change in their career and learn their personal story of challenges, lessons learned, and the result of their efforts. These success stories can inspire you and pave the way to help you make a quick and easy career change.

Professional Organizations – These are organizations like the American Marketing Association, or the Professional Management Institute, or Society of Women Engineers. If you’re thinking about changing job roles, or changing industries, these associations can help you learn more about these industries and careers to help you figure out whether or not that’s really where you want to go.Google “professional organizations” and the name of your city to see a list of industry associations and business organizations and start attending their luncheons and networking events.Also, these organizations offer excellent volunteer opportunities where you can learn a new skill – such as leadership, marketing, sales, event planning, project management and all kinds of others skills. Plus, it’s a great way to network and meet other professionals and executives in that industry who could potentially hire you, or introduce you to others who could potentially hire you.

Company Websites – Not all companies will promote their job openings on external job boards, but they will promote them on their own company website!Make a list of companies where you’d like to work, then spend time perusing their website. Read their “career” web page to learn about hot jobs and the skills that are in high demand. Also, read their blog, their press page and investor relations section to learn about their company culture, and to get an idea whether or not you really want to work there.

Professional Networking Sites – Add your professional profile to LinkedIn.com (you can look for me and join my network!) I’m not a big fan of MySpace.com or Facebook.com for professional networking. Those sites were created for social networking.Start sending updates to your contacts saying that you’re looking for your next opportunity and ask them for leads. Also ask them for a virtual introduction to others in their network who work in the company or industry where you want to work.

A Personal Career Coach – Look for a career coach who offers experience, confidence, and results. This is someone who can partner with you and give you the career strategies, motivation, and a proven roadmap so you can get into your new career quicker and easier.

Your Assignment: If You’re Ready for Change – then Take Action!

Start mapping out your career change. Take out a pen and piece of paper and write down in big letters, two of the five key strategies mentioned above that you’re going to do!

Next, pull out your calendar and schedule them in. The question for most of us isn’t, “When are we going to do them.” Instead, the real question is, “What are we going to GIVE UP in our schedule to MAKE THIS HAPPEN?”

Change takes commitment and action. When you’re ready to take action and start stepping into your dream career, remember that you don’t have to do it all by yourself. There are an abundance of resources and support available to help – you just have to make a commitment to start using them! 🙂

About Career Coach Sherri ThomasSherri Thomas is a leading career coach who helps professionals transform and thrive in their career. She is a leading career coach, Huffington Post writer, globe trotting keynote speaker, and the 2013 Best Career Book author of “The Bounce Back – personal stories of bouncing back higher and faster after a layoff, re-org or career setback.”
As a sought after media source, she has been featured in top news outlets including NBC-TV Phoenix, the Wall St. Journal, TIME, New York Daily News, Monster.com and many others. She loves traveling around the world and learning about other cultures, thrives in nature, and will always encourage you to go on what she calls a life changing Kenyan safari because the 30-hour flight journey “isn’t that bad.”

Dreaming of a new job? Perhaps something more meaningful, fulfilling and with a beefier paycheck? If you said, Yes, then the timing couldn’t be better. The unemployment rate is currently […] Read More »